


To You, 2000 Years From Now

by arminseashells



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Spies & Secret Agents, Eren Yeager and Armin Arlert are rivals, Eren hates Armin's guts, Family Secrets, Fluff and Angst, Implied Relationships, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Jean is Armin's biggest supporter, M/M, Mutual Pining, POV Armin Arlert, Slow Burn, basically the plot of attack on titan but without titans, childhood best friends to lovers to enemies to lovers, definition of it's all fun and games until one of them gets hurt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-18 15:15:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28620183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arminseashells/pseuds/arminseashells
Summary: He closed his eyes against the soft breeze that stroked his cheeks. During nights like this, it was easy to imagine that he was the captain of a ship who had no home but the sea or a traveler who had seen flaming waters, lands of ice, and fields of sand. It never took long for reality to crash down on him; he was none of those people.He was Armin Arlert: an orphan, a coward, a burden, atraitor.In which Armin Arlert and Eren Yeager are one of the best-skilled spies of rival secret organizations. Growing up together, they know how to read the other's next move and be a step ahead. After four years of hiding and betrayal, they are destined to meet in the most unexpected way. (there will be some spoilers so keep that in mind!!)
Relationships: Armin Arlert/Eren Yeager, Krista Lenz | Historia Reiss/Ymir, Marco Bott/Jean Kirstein, Mikasa Ackerman/Annie Leonhart
Comments: 7
Kudos: 31





	To You, 2000 Years From Now

**Author's Note:**

> hiii!! welcome to my eremin spy au literally no one asked for. i've had this idea for so long after reading the new chapters of the manga. since isayama likes to make us suffer, i decided to write my own childhood best friends to lovers to enemies to lovers fic for eremin which is basically them in a nutshell(the spy part is a little bonus). each chapter will consist of two parts. so it'll be the present and then the past which is eremin growing up together. you'll know more about their backstories in the upcoming chapters. please take it into consideration that this is my first published fic and i still have to do editing along the way. i had a lot of fun writing it so i hope you can enjoy it as much as i did!!
> 
> note: i'll put a link to a song to listen to at some parts to set the mood better. if you see ☾, then you can click on it to listen to the song if you'd like. i might make a playlist later on :)

🜼

Armin was used to waking up to the cheerful tunes of the canaries that gathered upon the trees next to his window. They always brought him back to reality whenever he drowned in the darkness of his nightmares. 

That night was no different and the nightmares had still come to him. 

He woke in a cold sweat, his screams muffled by the fluffy tail of his cat who was accustomed to his sudden cries. As he slowly sat up, his cat, Seashell, cuddled next to his leg and nuzzled gently to soothe him. 

He struggled to remember the last time he had a restful sleep. It was impossible to escape, _he_ would always haunt him in his dreams. It was almost like Armin was an open book that _he_ could narrate as he saw fit. 

He managed to ignore the flash of memories that threatened to cross his mind during the day, it was when the world went too still and sleep took him under its claws that he was compelled to confront all that he had been running away from. 

He did not let himself linger on that thought for too long, afraid of digging too deep into his buried past. 

He shook his head to clear his mind a little and got up only to realize that he had kicked his cat off the bed in the process. He hurriedly picked her up and looked for any sign of injuries. 

When he found none, he kissed her nose in an attempt to apologize which only granted him a snarl in return. She was getting too spoiled after all of Armin’s affectionate gestures. 

He remembered the first time he held those paws that once were as tiny as the seashells he used to collect. He had decided to name her after them and later found it too fitting for her character. 

He put Seashell back on his bed and walked up to the kitchen to prepare some tea to calm down his nerves. It had been a part of his routine for a long time, and he didn’t mind the late hour. 

He put his favorite blue mug on the kitchen counter and went to pick up his blanket that had been left on the couch after a long night of watching a baking show. He wrapped it around himself and cherished the warm feeling. 

He quickly lifted the mug from the counter and made his way to the balcony. 

The only thing that could be heard in the silence was the sound of faint footsteps his bare feet made on the wooden floor of the apartment. 

Armin leaned against the railing of the balcony while curling his fingers around the mug, careful not to spill anything. 

It was a peaceful scene with the full moon illuminating the faraway ocean and the stars so close that he felt like if he stretched his arm, he would be able to reach them. 

He closed his eyes against the soft breeze that stroked his cheeks. During nights like this, it was easy to imagine that he was the captain of a ship who had no home but the sea or a traveler who had seen flaming waters, lands of ice, and fields of sand. It never took long for reality to crash down on him; he was none of those people. 

He was Armin Arlert: an orphan, a coward, a burden, a _traitor_. 

As he was too absorbed in self-pity to even pay attention to his surroundings, a hand suddenly resting on his shoulder startled him. He quickly pushed it away and turned around despite the uneasiness in his stomach. 

The person sneaking up on him now started laughing at the nervous expression his face must have revealed. 

“What are you doing out here in the cold all alone again?” 

“What the hell is wrong with you Jean? Why would you sneak up on me like that?” gasped Armin.

“I thought you’d already heard me approach. I had an interesting encounter with your precious cat along the way and let’s just say she wasn’t very happy to see me,” said Jean as he took his place next to Armin on the balcony.

“That’s because you’re making her annoyed,” sighed Armin into his mug that had gone too cold now for him to drink it. “I would hate you too if you kept trying to tug on my tail.”

“Yet, I remember you tugging on my sleeve to keep me around just the other day,” sneered Jean.

Armin stared up at the stars, struggling not to roll his eyes at Jean’s remark. Now that he had mentioned it, Armin did have pieces of memories from last week, but it was mostly a blur. He had been too drunk to recall any of that absurdity in the morning. 

“It seems you’re only here to make fun of me,” said Armin quietly. “I don’t know why I ever listened to you before. I just made a fool of myself.”

He could detect Jean’s concerned gaze on him from the corner of his eye. Jean took a step closer and put the hand that had been slapped away before on his shoulder. When he started talking again, there was no trace of teasing in his voice from a moment ago. “Armin, do you remember what you told me that day when you were drunk? I haven't said anything about it because I respect your boundaries. But I wish you would talk to me more freely. All the stuff you bottled up inside of you is going to eat you alive one day and I don’t want to see that happen.”

It took Armin a second to register his words. He’d heard the same worried phrases much too frequent and knew how to brush them off. What had caught him by surprise was that Jean was never the one to ask him about his distressing thoughts. It was something Armin had appreciated about him. He’d accepted to live with the shame and regret four years ago that it was just a natural part of him that didn’t need to be discussed in the open. 

Now, out on the balcony with a hand on his shoulder that was as cold as the stone beneath his bare feet, he wondered what he might have said for Jean to start the conversation they were both avoiding for far too long. 

He plastered a weak smile on his face and put his trembling fingers on the hand gripping his shoulder. “I’m grateful to you, Jean,” said Armin with a calm voice that didn’t betray the chaos inside of him. “You’ve been there for me when no one else would," He could see the tension in Jean loosen slowly, his eyes gazing at him expectedly. “I told you once that I was willing to live with the consequences of my actions. I made my peace with it and so should you. Someone who can’t sacrifice anything—”

“Can never change anything,” interrupted Jean with a sad smile, knowing full well that he'd dodged his question.

Armin was stunned by the abrupt reply. He didn't expect his words to be worthy to be memorized. He thought of the time he’d said it to someone else. He wanted to laugh at the immediate rush of familiar scenes that were normally tangled in knots.

“I know you don’t like it when I talk about him,” whispered Jean that it was almost lost in the wind. “He doesn’t listen to anyone, not even Mikasa. If you don’t do something about it, all of your efforts four years ago will be for nothing.”

The long-forgotten tea in Armin’s hand was suddenly too heavy to grasp. He struggled to stop shaking and heard the sound of glass shattering as he turned his back on Jean. He didn’t notice the absence of his blanket until a swift chill went through him. It was on the ground with the broken pieces of glass. 

He didn’t trust his voice to carry its composure, breathing in and out till his fingers stopped twitching. It was no use, the mention of him was enough to make Armin nauseous. 

“Enough,” said Armin coarsely. “I don’t want to hear any of it. He is not my problem anymore.”

Jean was quiet for a minute, his eyes drilling holes into Armin’s back. “Eren needs you, Armin.”

There it was again, that inescapable name he kept tucked away in the abandoned corners of his mind. The name he never stopped reciting once in his nightmares.

By the time his head had quieted down, Jean was already at the door of the balcony.“I dropped the details for his new assignment on the counter. The Warriors are also sending in their spies, none as skilled as you though.” 

“I am _not_ working for them again.”

Jean did not turn to look at him, but Armin could feel the disappointment in his eyes. “Just think about it. It doesn’t hurt to take a look.”

Armin was too tired to protest any longer. He nodded his head in agreement but wasn’t sure if Jean could see it. He must have taken the silence as a confirmation because he left without saying any word. 

It was near dawn and Armin could see the sky bursting into the many shades of red. As he knelt down to clean up the mess, something fuzzy tickled his ankle.

Seashell made a habit of staying close to him whenever she sensed him to be upset. Armin didn’t know how she knew every time, but it was reassuring all the same.

He proceeded with caution and led Seashell inside the house. He collected all the broken pieces of glass inside the blanket and left it near the trash bin in the kitchen. 

Due to Jean’s “friendly” visit at an unreasonably late hour, he hadn’t been able to go back to sleep. He didn’t think he’d be able to rest after letting himself wander around forbidden territories in any case. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to take a peek at this so important mission that couldn’t wait till morning.

He moved over to his couch with the files sitting on his lap. He felt a little light-headed and put on his reading glasses resting on the small table next to him. 

All of the prestigious companies in Paradis were holding a masquerade ball next week in the renovated Utgard Castle. The mission that was assigned to him was to gather as much information as possible about the Reiss family who took residence there. Armin didn’t have a lot of knowledge regarding their family affairs, but he’d naturally heard of the tragedy they suffered years ago. It seemed easy enough that he didn’t understand why Jean had bothered to ask him. He was about to set it down when his eyes roamed over a familiar face. 

That must have been a mistake. It couldn’t be _her_. 

He read over her name, _Historia Reiss._ He couldn't help but gape at the newfound discovery. The girl that stared back at him was Christa Lenz who he’d known to be an orphan. She was definitely not the daughter of a man who had enough wealth to feed every empty stomach in Paradis. 

They used to call him a strategist, but even he’d not been able to figure out something as shocking as this. His head started to ache from thinking too hard and he finally put down the files on the table.

He curled up on the couch and turned on the TV to continue watching the baking show he’d paused the day before. He could still hear the chattering of the contestants as his weary eyes drifted him back into a heavy sleep. 

🜼

The refreshing smell of strawberries filled the entire marketplace. Armin smiled at the sight of victory. His parents had eventually given in to his pleas to buy his own strawberries and let him go alone. 

He’d never seen so many people crammed into such a small space. It was a struggle to walk without tripping on someone else’s foot.

He fancied himself to be one of the heroes in the stories his dad read to him. This was the beginning of his long-awaited adventures. It was a small step to just leave the street from his house, but it didn’t matter where he started. He would see the flaming waters, the lands of ice, the fields of sand, and the ocean one day. Oh, how _incredible_ it would be to see the ocean. His grandpa had said the saltwater stretched too far that you could make a fortune out of it and never run out of salt. 

The only thing he needed now was to find a companion to travel around and see the wonders of the world together. All of the heroes had one; he wondered why he didn’t. 

As he was too busy sailing away in sweet, distant dreams, he bumped into a heavy surface. 

“Watch where you’re going, _kid_ ,” was the only warning he was given before getting pushed to the side. He recovered quickly and focused on his objective. 

It didn’t take him long to reach the stand with strawberries. He wasted no time snatching one of the baskets. He reached into his pocket and handed the money to the seller. The man looked at him up and down, finally settling on taking it. 

He decided to take a shortcut on the way home, growing tired from his little adventure. The side streets were almost empty, lacking the vibrance of the market square. 

Armin could not contain the joy within him, stepping from one foot to another with a hop on the rocky road with the strawberry basket swinging back and forth. 

He noticed three figures striding up to him in his vision. It didn’t alarm him until he was shoved into the ground by one of them. 

He tilted his head in confusion, leaning on his palms to get up. As he surveyed the strangers in front of him, he noted a slightly taller boy holding a basket. 

“Those are my strawberries you’re holding!” defended Armin, his voice coming out louder than he intended to. 

The strange group started to laugh at the reply. “Too bad you can’t get it from me,” said the kid as he stuck out his tongue at him. 

Before he could even attempt to outstretch his arm, his back hit a near wall with a heavy thud. 

The kids circled him like sharks surrounding their prey. He was too terrified to speak let alone call for help.

 _What would a hero do in his situation?_ , he thought. _Would they stay their ground and fight back or flee the second they saw a chance?_

He didn’t get to find the answer as the tall kid took him by his collar and the others emptied his pockets to reveal spare coins. 

It took everything in Armin to stay his ground and look them in the eye. Even if he weren’t fit to be a hero, he would endure all of it because running would mean that he'd lost.

When he didn’t avert his gaze, it sparked the tiny bits of anger in his tormentors.“What are you staring at?” challenged the tall one, leaning closer into his face with a fist raised just above his nose.

He didn’t dare to respond and sheathed his face with an arm. He shut his eyes on instinct and waited for the blow to hit him at any second. But it never did. 

It was almost like time had stopped running a minute before and his senses had just returned to him. He slowly opened his eyes to observe the scene before him. 

There was too much yelling, fighting, and blood. He sank to the ground, legs giving out from constant shaking. He drew his knees up to his chest, hugging them tightly with his head in between. 

The echo of footsteps towards his path was unsettling enough for him to slowly lift his head and peel his eyes open. 

[☾ ](https://open.spotify.com/track/65Mx2WQUU7cNRRSsq5bHMG)He expected to encounter the same furious gaze that had held him in his place before. But instead was met with teal eyes full of concern. 

“Are you alright?” asked his savior as he extended a hand to him. Armin didn’t make any move to take it at first, regarding the boy with a curious expression. The boy had scratches and bruises on his face that caused something inside his chest to hurt. 

He nodded his head to indicate he was fine. When he was sure of the boy’s sincerity, he accepted the hand to lift himself up. 

As he studied the narrow street, he didn’t find any trace of the kids from earlier. 

He realized he was still holding the hand of the teal-eyed boy when he asked, “What’s your name?”

He quickly pulled it away and directed his gaze to his shoes to avoid looking at him. He was quiet for a moment and then stuttered, “A-Armin.”

“Here are your strawberries and money, Armin,” handed the boy as Armin was fidgeting with his fingers. “I haven’t seen you before. I’m Eren.” 

That made him look up, giving in to his curiosity. 

“Don’t worry those kids are gone. They won’t bother you anymore,” added Eren followed by a reassuring pat on his shoulder.

He was amazed by the friendly manner Eren had approached him. It was something he was unfamiliar with, being used to everyone excluding him. He suddenly wanted to be friends with this boy who didn’t seem to mind talking to him.

“Thank you,” said Armin shyly and then pointed to the bruises along his jaw, “You got hurt because of me.”

“It’s alright. My dad is a doctor _you know_ ,” grinned Eren, despite his injuries. “I can take you to him. He would treat you for free.”

“You don’t need to do that,” said Armin as he was swaying on his feet. “I’m okay, but if you want, I can give you some strawberries for saving me.”

“Do you want to come to my house to eat them together?” exclaimed Eren, like it was the best idea he'd thought of. “It’s just around the corner.” 

Armin wasn’t expecting him to be so blunt about wanting to hang out with him. He felt a surge of butterflies inside his stomach that made it hard for him to breathe. “Okay. If that’s what you want.” 

“Let’s go then!” beamed Eren and with that he took hold of Armin’s free hand and intertwined their fingers together, leading the way to his house. He was humming along the way, making Armin laugh softly.

It turned out that Eren didn’t live that far from Armin which was great news for their newly-formed friendship. After Eren’s dad tended to his injuries and his mom scolded him for getting into fights again, they stepped outside to sit on the stairs at the entrance. 

The way Armin kept licking his fingers while eating a strawberry burst Eren into laughter. He had always liked the sweet taste of strawberries, but never in his life had they tasted as good as they did now. 

After learning Armin loved reading, Eren asked him to tell a story. He listened patiently and his attention never once wavered, mesmerized by the subtle changes in Armin's voice as he tried to act out different characters.

Armin shared his dreams with Eren that day: traveling the world and finally seeing the ocean. Eren was fascinated with everything he told him, his green eyes shining so bright that it made him look away. They talked for so long that the sun had already disappeared, leaving a starry night in its wake. 

As Armin walked home that night with an empty basket, he couldn’t help but think the teal-eyed boy was the companion he’d been waiting for.


End file.
